Content access to virtual machine resource

Abstract

The storage system extracts virtual machine resource files based on sources of accesses. In one embodiment, a storage system comprises a network attached storage (NAS) device which is connected to a plurality of computer devices via a network. The NAS device is configured, (i) in response to a request to access a virtual machine resource which is recognized by the NAS device through identification information associated with the request as one that does not require content access to the virtual machine resource, to show the virtual machine resource without content access; and (ii) in response to a request to access a virtual machine resource which is recognized by the NAS device through identification information associated with the request as one that requires content access to the virtual machine resource, to show the virtual machine resource with content access.

1 . A storage system comprising:
 a network attached storage (NAS) device which is connected to a plurality of computer devices via a network, the NAS device being configured,   (i) in response to a request to access a virtual machine resource which is recognized by the NAS device through identification information associated with the request as one that does not require content access to the virtual machine resource, to show the virtual machine resource without content access; and   (ii) in response to a request to access a virtual machine resource from which is recognized by the NAS device through identification information associated with the request as one that requires content access to the virtual machine resource, to show the virtual machine resource with content access through which the computer device can directly refer to one or more files contained within the virtual machine resource.   
     
     
         2 . A storage system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the request which does not require content access to the virtual machine resource is sent from a computer device or a part of a computer device that provides a server virtualization platform.   
     
     
         3 . A storage system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the request which requires content access to the virtual machine resource is sent from a computer device or a part of a computer device that provides a service selected from the group consisting of data archiving and security checking.   
     
     
         4 . A storage system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the NAS device includes a resource view control table which stores information on whether to show the virtual machine resource with content access or without content access for each of the plurality of computer devices connected to the NAS device; and   wherein the NAS device refers to the resource view control table to determine whether to show the virtual machine resource with content access or without content access in response to a request from any of the plurality of computer devices.   
     
     
         5 . A storage system according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the resource view control table further stores information to show data other than virtual machine resource without content access in response to a request from any of the plurality of computer devices.   
     
     
         6 . A storage system according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein one of the plurality of computer devices connected to the NAS device via the network is a management computer device which is configured to update the resource view control table in response to a change in status of any of the plurality of computer devices.   
     
     
         7 . A storage system according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein one of the plurality of computer devices is a physical computer device which is made into a virtual machine by migration, a new virtual machine resource is created in the NAS device, and resource used by the physical computer device is copied into the new virtual machine resource; and   wherein the management computer device updates the resource view control table to indicate a change in status of the resource from the resource used by the physical computer device to the new virtual machine resource.   
     
     
         8 . A storage system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein one of the plurality of computer devices connected to the NAS device via the network is an archive computer device which is configured to access one or more resources in the NAS device;   wherein the NAS device is configured to show a resource to be accessed by the archive computer device without content access if the resource is data other than virtual machine resource, and to show a resource to be accessed by the archive computer device with content access if the resource is a virtual machine resource.   
     
     
         9 . A storage system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein one of the plurality of computer devices connected to the NAS device via the network is a management computer device which is configured to provide resource view control information to the NAS device specifying whether to show the virtual machine resource with content access or without content access for each of the plurality of computer devices connected to the NAS device.   
     
     
         10 . A storage system according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the management computer device includes a resource view control table that stores information on whether to show the virtual machine resource with content access or without content access for each of the plurality of computer devices connected to the NAS device; and   wherein the management computer device is configured to update the resource view control table in response to a change in status of any of the plurality of computer devices.   
     
     
         11 . A storage system comprising:
 a network attached storage (NAS) device which is connected to a plurality of computer devices via a network, the NAS device including a virtual machine resource and data other than virtual machine resource;   wherein, in response to a request to access the virtual machine resource which is recognized by the NAS device through identification information associated with the request as one that does not require content access to the virtual machine resource, the request being sent from a computer device or a part of a computer device that provides a server virtualization platform, the NAS device is configured to show the virtual machine resource without content access;   wherein, in response to a request to access the virtual machine resource which is recognized by the NAS device through identification information associated with the request as one that requires content access to the virtual machine resource, the NAS device is configured to show the virtual machine resource with content access through which the computer device can directly refer to one or more files contained within the virtual machine resource; and   wherein, in response to a request to access data other than virtual machine resource from any of the plurality of computer devices, the NAS device is configured to show the data without content access.   
     
     
         12 . A storage system according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the NAS device includes a resource view control table which stores information on whether to show the virtual machine resource with content access or without content access for each of the plurality of computer devices connected to the NAS device; and   wherein the NAS device refers to the resource view control table to determine whether to show the virtual machine resource with content access or without content access in response to a request from any of the plurality of computer devices.   
     
     
         13 . A storage system according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein one of the plurality of computer devices connected to the NAS device via the network is a management computer device which is configured to update the resource view control table in response to a change in status of any of the plurality of computer devices.   
     
     
         14 . A storage system according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein one of the plurality of computer devices is a physical computer device which is made into a virtual machine by migration, a new virtual machine resource is created in the NAS device, and files used by the physical computer device are copied into the new virtual machine resource; and   wherein the management computer device updates the resource view control table to indicate a change in status of the resource from the files used by the physical computer device to the new virtual machine resource.   
     
     
         15 . A storage system according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein one of the plurality of computer devices connected to the NAS device via the network is a management computer device which is configured to provide resource view control information to the NAS device specifying whether to show the virtual machine resource with content access or without content access for each of the plurality of computer devices connected to the NAS device.   
     
     
         16 . A storage system according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the management computer device includes a resource view control table that stores information on whether to show the virtual machine resource with content access or without content access for each of the plurality of computer devices connected to the NAS device; and   wherein the management computer device is configured to update the resource view control table in response to a change in status of any of the plurality of computer devices.   
     
     
         17 . A method of controlling view of resources in a network attached storage (NAS) device for a storage system in which a plurality of computer devices are connected to the NAS device via a network, the method comprising:
 in response to a request to access a virtual machine resource which is recognized by the NAS device through identification information associated with the request as one that does not require content access to the virtual machine resource, showing the virtual machine resource without content access; and   in response to a request to access a virtual machine resource which is recognized by the NAS device through identification information associated with the request as one that requires content access to the virtual machine resource, showing the virtual machine resource with content access through which the computer device can directly refer to one or more files contained within the virtual machine resource.   
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17 , further comprising
 providing in the NAS device a resource view control table which stores information on whether to show the virtual machine resource with content access or without content access for each of the plurality of computer devices connected to the NAS device; and   referring to the resource view control table to determine whether to show the virtual machine resource with content access or without content access in response to a request from any of the plurality of computer devices.   
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18 , further comprising
 in response to a request to access data other than virtual machine resource from any of the plurality of computer devices, showing the data without content access.   
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 18 , further comprising
 updating the resource view control table in response to a change in status of any of the plurality of computer devices.   
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 17 , further comprising
 obtaining, from a management computer device which is connected to the NAS device via the network, resource view control information specifying whether to show the virtual machine resource with content access or without content access for each of the plurality of computer devices connected to the NAS device.   
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein obtaining the resource view control information comprises
 accessing a resource view control table in the management computer device, the resource view control table storing information on whether to show the virtual machine resource with content access or without content access for each of the plurality of computer devices connected to the NAS device; and   referring to the resource view control table to determine whether to show the virtual machine resource with content access or without content access in response to a request from any of the plurality of computer devices.